The present invention relates generally to connectors, more specifically to connectors which employs the method of swinging an operation lever in order to connect a multitude of plug contacts and socket contacts.
An example of this conventional type of connector is illustrated as the structure shown in FIG. 11. This connector 60, for example, provides a plug-side connector 62 which stores a plurality of plug contacts 61 (see FIG. 12) and a socket-side connector 64 which stores in an array formation a plurality of socket contacts 63 which connects to those plug contacts 61 respectively.
Since a large insertion force is necessary in order to simultaneously insert the plurality of plug contacts 61 into the plurality of socket contacts 63, generally, an operation lever 65 is provided on the connector 60 which can amplify the applied insertion force. This operation lever is attached so as to allow a swinging motion around the axis 66 displaced near the center of both of the side surfaces of said plug-side connector 62. The ends of the operation lever 65 are, at both sides of said plug-side connector 62, open on one end and forming engaging grooves 67 in an arc-shape which gradually gets closer to said axis 66 as they approach the other end.
Meanwhile, engaging protrusions 68 are provided near the center of both of the side surfaces of said socket-side connector 64 which are to be inserted into said engaging grooves 67, respectively.
When engaging these plug-side connector 62 and socket-side connector 64, the plug contacts 61 and the socket contacts 63 within the connectors 62, 64 are positioned to line up, said engaging protrusions 68 are engaged with the engaging grooves 67 of said operation lever 65, and said operation lever is swung. Accordingly, the engaging protrusions 68 are pulled towards the plug-side connector 62 along the engaging grooves 67, and both of the connectors 62, 64 can engage.
Additionally, the plug-side connector 62 provides a first casing portion and a second casing portion separated along the center line in the thickness direction (not shown). Both casing portions are assembled to sandwich a plug body which stores the plurality of wired plug contacts 61, and forms the plug-side casing which possess a box shape and which stores said plug body. And then, the square C-shaped operation lever 65 is attached to both side surfaces of the plug-side casing so as to straddle both of the casings.
As shown in FIG. 12, the socket contacts 63 which are stored in said socket-side connector 64 possess, on the outer surface, a brim portion 63a protruding in a radial direction and an elastic protrusion 63b which can protrude in a radial direction. Then, the socket contacts 63 are inserted from the back of the through hole 69 which possess a step formed on the socket-side connector, and by having said elastic protrusion 63b protrude in front of the step portion 69a of said through hole 69, said step portion 69a is sandwiched between the elastic protrusion 63b and the brim portion 63a and is held firmly by the socket-side connector 64.
On the other hand, in order to allow the disengagement of the socket contacts 63 inserted into said through hole 69, the through hole 69 of the socket-side connector has a diameter enough to allow a jig (not shown) which contracts the elastic protrusion 63b protruding in the radial direction at the front portion of the step portion 69a between the annular space 70 and the socket contacts 63.
A conventional connector 60 formed in this fashion possesses disadvantages described below.
Firstly, as shown in FIG. 12, there is the possibility of the plug contacts 61 being inserted into the socket contacts at an angle. That is to say, as shown in FIG. 13, because the engaging protrusions 68 provided near the center of both side surfaces of the socket-side casing respectively engage the engaging grooves 67 of the operation lever 65 attached to the plug-side casing, when the plug contacts 61 begin to contact the socket contacts 63, even though the engaging protrusions 68 have already engaged the engaging grooves 67 of the operation lever 65, the socket-side connector 64 is able to swing with respect to the plug-side connector 62 with said engaging protrusions 68 as the axis of rotation.
Additionally, when the proper positioning of the socket-side connector 64 is not performed with respect to the plug-side connector 62, the ends of the plug contacts 61 may miss the socket contacts 63 and become displaced in the annular space 70, as shown in FIG. 12.
Moreover, there is a possibility that the plug contacts 61 and the socket contacts 63 will become damaged when the plug contacts 61 are forcibly inserted into the socket contacts 63 while the plug contacts 61 are at an angle with respect to the socket contacts 63, because the insertion force is amplified by the operation lever 65.
Furthermore, when the plug contacts 61 are inserted into the socket contacts 63 at an angle, an enormous frictional force will be produced between the engaging grooves 67 of the operation lever 65 and the engaging protrusions 68 which engage the former, resulting in the wearing of the contact portions of the engaging grooves 67 and the engaging protrusions 68.
Also, since the plug-side casing is formed from a first and a second casing by splitting into two along the center in the latitudinal direction, the attaching and detaching of the operation lever 65 each time the assembling and disassembling of the casing is performed proves to be complex and time-consuming.
The object of the present invention is to offer a connector which overcomes the conventional problems described above, and which allows the stable insertion of multiple pairs of socket contacts and plug contacts that engage each other while being displaced in respective rows with the use of an operation lever.
In order to solve the problems described above, the present invention offers a connector which provides a plurality of plug contacts and socket contacts which respectively connects electrically within the inner portions of a pair of casings which engage respectively, and which are aligned therein, at least two engaging protrusions which are spaced apart in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction of said casing on the opposing pair of side surfaces of first of said casings, a pair of engaging plates which can move in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction on the opposing pair of side surfaces of the second of said casing; a pair of sliding grooves which can house and allow the sliding of said engaging plates in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction on the side surfaces of the said second casing, at least two engaging grooves which are parallel to each other and where said engaging protrusions are inserted on the opposing pair of side surfaces of the said second casing, said engaging grooves having slanting portions which are slanted with respect to said engaging direction, an operation lever which can swing in order to move said engaging plates in a straight line simultaneously in the direction orthogonal to said engaging direction, and guiding grooves formed along said engaging direction which allow the insertion of said engaging protrusions.
The connector described above would be effective if a roller which rotates with respect to said engaging groove is provided on said engaging protrusion.
In addition, if said second casing is formed as a single body from said pair of sidewalls of said casing and a different sidewall, and is formed from a first casing portion which has a cross-sectional square C-shape and which has a opening portion in one direction and from a second casing portion which is attached onto to said first casing portion so as to close said opening portion, and wherein said operation lever is attached to said first casing portion, then the assembling and disassembling processes may be performed easily.
In such a case, said sliding groove may open at said opening portion.
Additionally, said second casing portion may be attached to said first casing portion by sliding said second casing portion along said groove formed in said engaging direction at the opening portion of said first casing portion, and a fixing means for stopping the relative movement of said first and second casing portions may be provided.
Furthermore, said fixing means may be formed in a slanting direction with respect to said sliding direction on both said first and second casing portions, and may comprise a through hole formed when both said first and second casing portions are attached, a bolt which is inserted into said through hole, and a nut which is screwed onto said bolt.
In the connector according to the present invention, the engaging protrusions provided on both side surfaces of a first casing are inserted into the guiding grooves provided on both side surfaces of a second casing and into the engaging grooves of the engaging plates. And by swinging the operation lever in this state, the engaging plates are moved in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction. That is to say, the swinging motion of the operation lever is transformed into the linear motion of the engaging plates.
Since the engaging plate is inserted into the sliding grooves provided on said first casing, is stably moved in a straight line along said sliding grooves in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction. Since the engaging protrusion is inserted into the guiding grooves and the engaging groove simultaneously and since the engaging groove has a slanting portion with respect to the engaging direction, when the engaging plate is moved linearly in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction, the intersecting point of said engaging groove and said guiding groove moves in the engaging direction. Accordingly, the engaging protrusion inserted in both grooves is moved in the engaging direction along the guiding groove so that it is always positioned at the intersecting point of both of the grooves. That is to say, the linear motion of the engaging plate in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction is transformed into a linear motion in the engaging direction.
In this case, at least two engaging protrusions spaced in the direction orthogonal to the engaging direction are formed on both side surfaces of said second casing, and the engaging grooves of the engaging plate are formed in parallel to each other, thereby allowing all engaging protrusions to simultaneously move a same amount in the engaging direction. Consequently, it is possible to have the casings not swing with respect to each other, and to have all of the plug contacts and the socket contacts engage each other while keeping them aligned.
In addition, if a roller which can rotate with respect to the engaging groove is provided on the engaging protrusion, it is possible to prevent the large amount frictional force produced between the engaging groove and the engaging protrusion by having the roller rotate with respect to the engaging groove when there is a large contact pressure produced between the engaging groove and the engaging protrusion by means of the operation lever.
Additionally, by having said second casing formed as a single body from said pair of sidewalls of said casing and a different sidewall, and formed from a first casing portion which has a cross-sectional square C-shape and which has a opening portion in one direction and from a second casing portion which is attached onto to said first casing portion so as to close said opening portion, and wherein said operation lever is attached to said first casing portion, it is possible to assemble or disassemble said casing merely by attaching or detaching the second casing portion with respect to the first casing portion and it is possible to eliminate the troublesome process of removing the operation lever each time assembly or disassembly is required.
Moreover, if the sliding groove is open at said opening portion, it is possible to slide the engaging plate in the casing by attaching the second casing portion to the opening portion after inserting the engaging plate into the sliding groove from said opening portion. Thus, by obviating long holes and metal fittings used for sliding mechanisms, it is possible to reduce costs and reduce the dimensions of the connector.
Furthermore, by having the second casing portion attached to the first casing portion by sliding the second casing portion along the groove formed in the engaging direction at the opening portion of the first casing portion, and by having a fixing means for stopping the relative movement of the first and second casing portions, it is possible to keep the number of parts of the above casing to a minimum.
In this case, by having the fixing means formed in a slanting direction with respect to the sliding direction on both the first and second casing portions, and by having the fixing means comprise a through hole formed when both the first and second casing portions are attached, a bolt which is inserted into that through hole, and a nut which is screwed onto that bolt, it is possible to prevent the second casing portion coming apart from the first casing portion by means of the friction generated between the bolt and the through hole slanting with respect to the sliding direction, as long as the bolt is inserted in the through hole, even when the nut becomes loose and falls off in the case where one carelessly forgets to tighten the nut.